ranney



.(No Model.)

D. D. RANNEY.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING BLANKS FOR METAL CAN BODIES. I No. 448,258. Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT DARIVIN D. RANNEY, OF LEIVISTOIVN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY IV. PHELPS AND SARAH J. RANNEY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING BLANKS FOR METAL. CAN BODIES.

EFPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,258, dated March 1'7, 1891. Application filed January 16, 1891. Serial No. 377,947. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DARWIN D. RANNEY, a

. citizen of the United States, residing at Lowistown, Illinois, have invented certain new 5 and useful Improvements in Machines for Cutting Blanks for Metal Can-Bodies, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a machine wherein rotary cutters are employed for cutting blanks for can-bodies from sheet metal. In this class of machines the blank has a tendency to buckle between the cutters, and this buckling results in variations in the size in the body-blanks, and of course in a corresponding variation in the size of the cans themselves. A difficulty is also encountered in the operation of the machine caused by the blank dragging on one side or the other, which results in the production of body-blanks which are not perfectly rectangular in form.

is also a tendency in the blanks to curl up or down after passing from the knives, thus resulting in a confused delivery of the blanks annoying and dangerous to the workman.

It is the object of my invention to provide means for overcoming these diiiiculties, and this I do by the employment of elasticcoverings forthe bodies of the cutting-cylinders between the knives, and said coverings pref- 'erably project out withthe cutting-edges of the knives. The bed-rolls also have elastic surfaces or coverings. In use the blanks are fed to the machine in any convenient way and the edge of the blank being entered between the cutt-ing-cylinders and the bed-rolls said blank is drawn forward and severed by the knives, while the strips or body-blanks into which the metal sheet is out are maintained in the same plane by the elastic sleeve- 0 coverings with which they are in contact, said sleeves also acting by friction to draw the sheet of metal evenly, and thus the bodies are cut to rectangular form.

In order to provide for cutting blanks of 5 different widths, I employ washers or collars which are used for spacing the knives and by the removal and insertion of which the width of blanks cut may be varied.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view, and Fig. 2 is an elevation, see

There tional through one of the cutting-cylinders, bed-rolls, washers, and elastic coverings.

In the drawings, A represents the bed-plate of the machine, from which rise the standards B B, having journal-bearings for the shafts 5 5 O D, said shafts bearing at one end intermeshing gears E F. Power to rotate the shafts is transmitted through the pulley G. Each of these cylinders is hollow and has at one end the knife h. The machine has also bed-rolls I. For each of the cylinders H and rolls I there will be provided a spacing collar or washer K, and by means of this washer the cutting-cylinders andbed-rolls may be spaced to adapt the machine to cutwider ornarrower blanks. The several cylinders and rolls are secured against rotation upon their shafts by means of the jam-nuts L.

M represents sleeves of rubber, and N represents rings or washers of rubber corre- 7o sponding in length to the cylinder-bodies and washers K. The sleeves M and rings N are of such thickness that whenput in place they} project out to or substantially to the cutting-,5 edges of the knives 71,. Instead of therubber sleeves, other elastic coverings may be used, and instead of the washers K and N being made separately they may be made integral from rubber, and the bed-rolls I may also be made from rubber, and the sleeves therefor omitted.

The sheet of metal being fed to the machine in any convenient way the knives will cut it into strips, each of which will form a blank of the proper size for a can-body and the 8 5 blank will be supported intermediate the knives by the elastic surfaces of the rubber sleeves and washers, which will also, by reason of their frictional contact'with the sheet, assist to draw it squarely through the machine, on preventing all buckling of the sheet and the blanks cut therefrom insuring the cutting of blanks of proper shape. The blanks will also be delivered straight from the machine-that is to say, without curling.

I claim- 1. In a machine for cutting blanks for canbodies, did, the combination of the cylindrical rotary cutters and bed-rolls, of elastic coverings secured upon the bodies of the cutters 1o:

and rolls and adapted to support the metal and prevent buckling thereof under the action of the knives, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for cutting blanks for metal can-bodies, &c., the co1nbination,with a rotatable shaft bearing cylinders having a cutting-edge at one end thereof, of sleeves of elastic material secured over the bodies of the cylinders between the knives, and a second shaft mounted parallel to the first and bearing thereon bed-rolls having elastic coverings, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for cutting blanks for metal can-bodies, &c., the combination, with a rotatable shaft bearing movable cylinders having cutting-edges at one end thereof, of

rings to cover said Washers, substantially as described. I

DARVIN D. RANNEY.

Witnesses:

O; O. LINTI-IIOUM, V V FREDERICK O. GooDWIN. 

